


Recognition

by Reichenbachstag



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Bakery AU, Cop AU, Fake Identities, Gen, Modern AU, and les amis live there, estab relationships, valjean is the mayor of msurm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 06:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13828557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reichenbachstag/pseuds/Reichenbachstag
Summary: Valjean owns a bakery Javert is a cop.Valjean somehow wins the election and sees a man again he did not think he'd see again.





	1. Chapter 1

"Don't tell me you don't know Monsieur Inspector."  
"What do you even come here for? Our company?"

Once again the juvenile troublemakers were by his side and would not let him read.  
"Is Monsieur getting old?"  
Philipe Javert could not believe that the owner of that small boulangerie next to this slightly larger bookshop had been elected mayor.  
And even those to whose shop he came to be able to investigate on their case knew.

He had to introduce himself and now he was entering the boulangerie.  
How could he have missed the news, the winner had only been announced today and it was still early.  
A tall surprisingly well built man greeted him behind the counter.  
He seemed to be in his late fourties or early fifties.

The man seemed flustered by being greeted as Monsieur Le maire.  
"You needn't call me such a thing Inspector Javert."  
So his reputation had already reached the new mayor.  
"I'd rather stick to such formalities as I do not know your full name.", he said deliberately ignoring the name tag saying Madeleine.

"My name is Madeleine...", the mayor stopped a little perplexed.

"Madeleine Fauchelevent, that is my fathers name.", a blonde girl completed his sentence.

"Cosette, my daughter.", Madeleine smiled and Javert tilted his head in slight confusion of how a man could be so polite as well as controlled and yet seemingly so sincere.  
"Is there a matter you'd like to discuss with me Inspector?"

"Ah actually..."  
He was interrupted by a scream of Cosette.  
She threw herself into the arms of that freckled silent weirdo from the bookshop next door.

"There she goes.", a tone of slight sadness brought him back to the mayor.

"You may sit down while I prepare something to eat, coffee?"

A little perplexed Javert sat down in the chair he was guided too.  
He had not expected the new mayor to already know his name and then great him so friendly.  
Quietly he took a bite of cake handed to him and he slowly he drank from the still boiling coffee.  
That mans behavior was odd.

"So what did you come here for Inspector?"  
"To introduce myself and to make myself a picture of my new surperior."

 

"To be fairly honest I was expecting you from everything I've heard you've done your duty with great devotion. My daughter said you were investigating the bookshop owners next door."

"Yes, I believe they may be part of a rather radical socialist movement that might start soon attacking elected officials or Display their disgraceful views in violent protests."

"That was rather blunt, these boys have been over here countless times with their friends and they do not seem harmful. Youth will always be radical. Though they haven't payed their coffees lately."

Had this man seriously just defended those radicals and did he just let them do whatever they want in this boulangerie?

"You see they've had a rough childhood so did I. Nonetheless we're all equally worthy frenchmen, I aspire to be a mayor who can give the people in the banlieus back their hope."

Javert choked on his coffee he'd been born in a banlieu but no one had made it seem like he was worth the same as those rich folks from the town center.  
At least not in his childhood.

"So you're not the Malcom X type."

Madeleine cocked his head in confusion.

"Malcolm X was one of the leaders of the civil rights movement in the United States. He believed that violence was the right way to fight oppression and make people aware of how everyone bleeds the same.   
I'm sorry I..."  
He stopped his apology as Madeleine seemed interested in what he was talking about.  
His hazel eyes were curious, nothing indicated that he thought Javert had been talking too much.

"You are a man of knowledge then? A man of books?"

"I do get around to read a lot when I'm at that bookshop."

"Could you recommend me something to read? The boys pay their fees usually in books of the same price but I haven't been able to look out for something to read lately. I was rather busy running for mayor."

So this new mayor liked to get lost in the world of books, in the world of history and fiction.  
But nonetheless he started naming the books he'd recently read.

"To be fairly honest I'm glad you came over to my known terrain and that we are able to talk like this.  
I'll have to adjust when Cosette starts running the shop because of my more important duties."

"The pleasure is all mine M. Le maire."  
Something in Javert felt off when Madeleine smiled at him.  
Was such a man who gave a subordinate such a smile suit for the pressure of the mayors office?

But who was he to question?

Something about the man seemed awfully familiar but he couldn't quite place this clean shaven face with the white curls brushing his temples.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to finish this I'll put this out there

The next time he saw the mayor was in the evening when he gave a speech.   
Their eyes just briefly met but it felt intense like fingertips gently brushing over each other.

 

He wakes up to bright lights and awfully loud rushing of blood in his ears.  
Soon his brain is able to process that he's at least not lying on the street anymore - he's in the hospital.  
Someone presses the bell to call a nurse to signal that he's awake.

Only after he's been checked up on and talked through routine seeming steps, by a nurse, he realizes who pressed that button to call for the nurse.

Jean Valjean

It has to be him the broad figure and this stubbly strong jaw give him away.  
He expects to glance into the fury pits that stared at him whenever he passed by his cell.

But it's the soft strangely redded eyes of the mayor.  
He is no longer clean shaven and his posture is crooked but he seems so gentle and caring.

"Why are you here?", he notices how rude his question must seem.  
"Not that I don't appreciate it but you should do something of relevance and not waste your time with me."

It didn't make sense that the man had been crying for him they had only met twice.

"You won't be able to do your duty anymore, you'll hardly be able to walk and you almost bled out and all you can say is that I should not be here."

He didn't say it like a question more like an observation.

"I know what that nurse told me and I know that blond son of a bitch who shot me in the leg!"

Madeleine, no the mayor inhaled sharply.

"It was a kid around thirteen barely able to fire a gun, and he was with two of those book rebels."

"Javert..."  
"Don't say anything in their defense please, you know how dangerous they are now!"  
"I'm here because I was worried about you, I thought..."

He didn't finish that sentence he just remained silent for a while before standing up and asking if if he could leave.

Javert nodded weakly.


End file.
